Leg and Off: Who should be India's first choice wicket-keeper for Champions Trophy 2025?

As Team India gear up for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, they are faced with some tough calls to make before picking the side. The Men in Blue will also play an ODI series against England before the major ICC event, which will serve as a preparatory ground.

The selectors will be challenged to pick a potent squad. India missed out on winning the ODI World Cup in 2023 after losing the final against Australia. The last time they won a 50-over ICC tournament was during their triumph in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

One of the main challenges will be picking the two wicketkeepers in the squad. Moreover, pinpointing the first-choice wicketkeeper for the Champions Trophy will be a crucial call that the think tank needs to make.

While there are three main players to choose from at the moment, it will be interesting to see who the management thinks is ideal to be India's first-choice gloveman for the Champions Trophy 2025.

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Who should be India's first-choice wicketkeeper for Champions Trophy 2025?

The three names in contention to be India's first-choice wicketkeeper for the Champions Trophy 2025 are KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Sanju Samson. Notably, Rahul was the wicketkeeper during the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Samson, an exceptional talent, always had the baggage of not performing to his potential in international cricket. However, he has changed this perspective with his performances in the recent past. Samson last played ODIs in the series against South Africa in December 2023. The right-hander scored 120 runs from two innings, including a century (108) in the third ODI.

He has scored 510 runs from 16 ODIs at an impressive average of 56.66 with one hundred and three fifties. Samson has performed consistently in recent times and presents a strong case for himself. Moreover, he is capable of batting at any position in the order and provides flexibility. He could hold the key to India's middle order in the high-pressure tournament.

Looking at Rishabh Pant, his dynamic batting and power-hitting abilities make it hard to leave him out of any team. He has scored 871 runs from 31 ODIs at an average of 33.50 and a strike rate of 106.21 with a century and five fifties.

However, Pant did not play ODIs after 2022 as he was away from cricket. On his return, he played just one ODI against Sri Lanka in 2024, where he scored just six runs. Pant does provide the option of having a left-hander in the middle order, which could push the selectors to give him some thought.

Nonetheless, going by recent performances, Samson may get the edge over Pant in the ODI format, considering Pant has not played much one-day cricket since his return from injury.

Coming to KL Rahul, he is the most experienced international batter among all the three. In Pant's absence, Rahul also played as a wicket-keeper batter in the 2023 ODI World Cup. He probably has the best numbers in the middle order in the format among the three. Rahul has amassed 2851 runs from 77 games at an average of 49.15 with seven hundreds and 18 half-centuries.

The only concern with playing Rahul as a wicket-keeper batter would be his fitness issues. Wicket-keeping for longer periods has led to Rahul being sidelined, taking a toll on his fitness. He scored 452 runs in the 2023 World Cup at an average of 75.33 with a hundred and a couple of fifties.

Ideally, Rahul has delivered under pressure for India more often than not. Putting his fitness concerns away, it appears as though he would most probably be the first-choice wicketkeeper. While Samson certainly makes a case, a smaller sample size and Rahul's experience along with his records put him ahead of the others.

Further, Rahul being rested for the upcoming ODI series against England also suggests that the management wants him fit for the Champions Trophy. This move also gives us some idea as to what the team could be thinking in this aspect.